Windshield wiper



G. T. MUSTIN WINDSHIELD WI PER Filed Feb. 10, 1956 Feb. 23, 1937.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 62am! 2' war/1v 7 E w Feb. 23, 1937. G. T. MUSTINWINDSHIELD WIPER Filed Feb. 10, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 23, 1937. G.T. MUSTIN WINDSHIELD WIPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 10, 1956 gee/15f/fusr/lv (II/WWW Feb. 23, 1937.. MUSTlN I 2,071,851

" WINDSHIELD WIPER Filed Feb. 10, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet;

Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES gamer PATENT OFFHQE WINDSH IELDWIPER George T. Mustin, Memphis, Tenn.

Application February 10, 1936, Serial No. 63,057

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in windshield wipers forautomobiles and has particular reference to improvements in wipersactuated by the vacuum set up in the intake manifold of the automobileengine.

In the operation of the car under some conditions there is such a dropin the vacuum, that there is insufficient power to operate the wiper,and particularly where this occurs at high car speeds there is adangerous failure of action at a time when such action is most needed.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide auxiliarymeans for actuating the wiper during drops in vacuum.

Further objects are:

To provide means for establishing during normal operation of the wiper,an auxiliary reserve of power available for use during such drops invacuum.

To provide means for automatically cutting off such establishing meanswhen a predetermined reserve has been established.

To provide means released by the drop in vacuum for automaticallycutting in said reserve power to operate the wiper during low vacuum andfor disconnecting said power when normal vacuum is restored.

To provide means for governing the speed of said wiper during auxiliarypower operation; and

To improve the details of design and construction of such apparatus.

The means by which these and other objects are accomplished, and themanner of their accomplishment will readily be seen from the followingdescription on reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Fig. 1 is a plan View of my device on a somewhat enlarged scale.

Fig. 2 is a section taken as on the line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation with a cover plate cut away along theline III-III of Figs. 1 and 4.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line V--V of Figs. 1 and 4;and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line VI--VI of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a sectional elevation taken on the line No. 1,554,528, whichcasing houses'the operating mechanism, and H the protruding shaft whichis oscillated by such mechanism in usual and well known manner. I2 is a.tube leading from, the

intake manifold of the automobile engine (not shown) through a'branchtube l3, member l4, not essential to the present device and'pipe l5 intothe wiper casing Ill. "5 is the starting lever by which the wiper is outon or off. The above parts constitute a usual type of wiper which iswell known, and to which my device is auxiliary.

My device comprises a supporting frame which preferably includes a platewhich is connected to the casing Ill and a second plate 2| spaced andsecured apart from the plate 20 as by posts 22. r

23 is a vacuum chamber mounted on the plate 20 and to which the samevacuum tube I2 leads through a branch tube 24. One side of the vacuumchamber 23 is closed by a flexible diaphragm 25, as of sheet rubberwhich is shown secured. to the chamber by a ring 26 and screws 21.Secured to the center of the diaphragm is a post 28, movement of whichis controlled by movement of the diaphragm. Loosely secured to the post28 and movable thereby is a control arm 29, one end 29A of which arm isguided by a post 30 and is seated against a compression spring 3|. Thearm 29*is pivotally mounted as on a pin 32 carried by a post 33 rigidlysecured to. the plate '20, and beyond this post carries a yoke 34 havinginwardly projecting pins 35 which engage an an-- nular slot 36 in asleeve 31, "slidably mounted on the oscillating shaft II of the Wiper.Integral with the sleeve 31 is an eccentric 38 around which is a strap39 from which an eccentric rod 40 projects. 4| is a key which is carriedby the sleeve 31 and slidably engages a complementary key-way in theshaft ll constraining the sleeve and eccentric forming a part thereof tooscillate with the shaft. Formed on the outer face of the eccentric 38is a. clutch member 43 which engages with or maybe disengaged from, acomplementary clutch member 44, which is secured as by" a pin 45 on anextension 46 of the shaft ll. 4'! is a pinion preferably integral withthe complementary clutch member 44. The shaft extension 46 isoscillatable in a bearing 48 secured to the plate 2!! as by a flange 49and nut 50. The shaft extension 46 carries the usual wiper arm 5|"through which the wiper (notshown), is oscillated in usual'manner. 1

The eccentric rod 40is hollow and has slidably mounted therein anextension 52 which is held against movement relative to the otherportion ofthe arm as by a lug53 which engages a com-. plementary slot inthe arm extension 52, this lug 1 being disengageable'in manner to behereinafter; described to permit relative movement of the two: portionsof the rod. .Y

The outer end of' the rod extension 52 pivotally engages a pivot'pin 54and is longitudinally slidable along the pin, which is elongated to Prmit such movement when the eccentric 38 and rod 52 are shifted. The pin54 is carried by an arm 55, which arm is securely clamped as by a screw58 to an oscillatable shaft 51. Also suitably secured to, or integralwith the shaft 51, is a crank disk 58, from the face of which two pins58 and 68 project. 6! is a ratchet pawl one end of which is mounted onthe pin 59 and the other end of which engages with a.

the teeth of a ratchet wheel 63, the engaging end of the pawl 6| beingheld in engagement as by a tension spring 84 (Fig. l), the upper end ofwhich spring engages a lug 65 extending laterally from the pawl 6t. 65is a second pawl carried by the pin 68 and having its outer end alsoengaging the ratchet wheel 63, this pawl being held in engagement withthe ratchet wheel as by a leaf spring 61. 68 and 69 are ratchet dogswhich prevent retroactive motion of the ratchet wheel 63. It will benoted that the length of these dogs is such (Fig. 5), that they actalternately and are therefore adapted to secure the ratchet wheelagainst retroactive movement of one-half tooth space or more.

The ratchet wheel 63 is turnably mounted on a shaft 18 and is secured toa hollow drum 1I similarly mounted on the same shaft. Within the drum isa coil spring 12, one end of which is secured in usual manner to thecylindrical casing of the drum and the opposite end to the shaft 18,this spring storing the power for the auxiliary or reserve motor.Oscillatable movement, of the shaft II acting through the eccentric 38,straps 39 and rod 48-52, the arm 55, shaft 51, crank disk 58 and ratchetpawls-6 I66, winds the spring within the drum in usual manner, storingup reserve energy. Oscillatably mounted on the shaft 51 is a sleeve 13to which is integrally secured a bell crank lever, one arm 14 of thislever carrying a roller 15 rotatably secured thereto as by a pivot pin16. This roller is held in contact with the outer surface of the drum Hby a spring 11 acting on the other arm 18 of the bell crank lever. Theshell of the drum in the path of the roller 15 is cut away 1 to form arecess 19 in which is disposed a sector 88 of the drum surface. Thissector is carried by a pin BI which projects through into the interiorof the drum and is provided with a thin head 82, against which the outerconvolution of the spring 12 presses when the spring is fully unwoundthereby forcing the sector 88 outward, and forming a continuous trackfor the roller 15. Conversely when the spring 12 is wound up, the outerconvolutions of the spring are eventually pulled away from the innersurface of the drum releasing the pressure on the head 82 of the pin,allowing the roller 15 to force the sector 88 inward, and to engage inthe notch thus formed, incidentally stopping or tending to stop furtherturning of the drum. Also secured on the sleeve 13 as by a yoke 85 and aclamping screw 86 is an arm 81 which arm therefore moves in conformitywith the movement of the roller 15. This arm 81 overlies a pin 88secured to, and projecting laterally from a lever 89, which lever inturn is mounted on a pivot pin 98 carried by a bracket 9I forming partof the eccentric rod 48. The opposite end of the arm '89 is engaged asby a pivot pin 92, with a plunger 93 which plunger is slidably mountedin the bracket 9| and carries the lug 53. 94 is a compression springacting against the lever 89 to hold the lug 53'normally in engagementand the pin 88 against the arm 81. When the roller 15 rolls alo g the slfi fi 9 the drum 1| the arm 81 is held in raised position,

and the lug 53 is effective to lock the two portions of the eccentricrod together. When however, the spring 12 is fully wound and the sector88 thereby released and forced in by the action of the bell crank leverand the roller thereon, the arm 81 is depressed, disengaging the lug 53and disconnecting the two parts of the eccentric rod therebydiscontinuing winding action of the ratchet mechanism. It will be notedthat the arm 81 moving with the part 52 of the eccentric rod hasmovement relative to the pin 88 in addition to the desired depressingmovement, the underside of the arm therefore has been cut away along theline 94 to give a true sliding movement at such time.

The shaft 18, to which the inner end of the spring 12 is attached,extends beyond the drum II and carries a gear 95 which is secured to theshaft as by a pin 96. The gear 95 meshes with an idler gear 91 andthrough this gear with a pinion 98, and with a second pinion 99 (Fig.4), which latter pinion is mounted on and secured to a shaft I88.eccentric ml which is turned by the pinion 99. IE2 is the eccentricstrap and I83 the eccentric rod. The rod I83 is secured as through ascrew I84 to a member I85 slidably mounted in a guide I86.

Also secured to the member I85 as by a pivot pin I81 is a link I88, theouter end of which is normally held in raised position as by a springI89. The link I88 is provided with a notch II 8, which notch when theouter end of the link is held in raised position by the spring I89, en-

gages a pin III, carried by a bracket II2, secured to or integral with,and depending from a rack I I3. The rack H3 is slidably mounted in aguide H4 and preferably also supported by a roller II5 suitablyjournaled on a pin H8, and. when the notch H8 and pin III are inengagement, is constrained to reciprocate in conform-- ity with themovement of the eccentric I8I The rack I I3 meshes with the pinion 41which pinion is pinned to the shaft 46 and when reciprocated imparts anoscillatory movement to the wiper arm 8|.

Overlying the link I88, is a transversely disposed cam II1 which isslidably mounted in a suitable bracket II8, this cam being particularlyshown in Fig. 6. The cam H1 is provided with a notch I I9 which isengaged with the control arm 29 and shifts in conformity with themovement of such control arm, being held in the position shown in Fig. 6when the diaphragm 25 is outward due to release of vacuum pressure. Inthis position a notch I28 in the cam overlies the link I88, allowingthis link to be held upward and its outer end to engage the pin III.Conversely when the diaphragm 25 is pulled inward by vacuum pressure thecam is shifted in conformity with such inward movement of the diaphragm,the inclined edge of the notch I28, forcing the link I88 downward,thereby disengaging the link from the pin I l I and therethrough fromthe rack I I3.

I2I is a detent arm pivotally mounted as on a pin I22. One end of thisarm' I2IA rests against the control arm 29 and moves inward or outwardin conformity with the diaphragm controlled movement of such controlarm, being held thereagainst as by a spring I23. IZIB is a detent on theopposite end of the arm I2I, which is moved into or out of engagementwith a notch I85A in the member I85 by such movement of the arm Alsosecured on this shaft is any I'll of: the spring motorrshallautomatically re-estab- Ij2-I, the detent' being engaged with thenotchI05A when the diaphragm 25.is pulled inward'by action of the vacuum andbeing disengaged by releasezof the vacuum. The detent I2IB thereforeengagesthe bar I95 and prevents actuation of such arm by the springmotor at such time as the wiper is beingvacuum actuated, and releasesthe bar for spring motor action when the vacuum drops and becomesineffective.

The pinion 98 is mounted on and suitably secured to a shaft I39 on whichshaft is also secured a gear I3I. This gear meshes with a pinion.

I32, which pinion is secured on a governor shaft I33. The shaft I33extends through and is suitably journaled in the wall I34 of acylindrical housing I35 and carries a disk I36 to which weights I31 aresecured. as by pivot pins I38, the weights'being provided with contactshoes I39 of leather or other suitable material. Contact shoesare'normally held away from'the interior surface of the casingI35 as bya spring I40, and moving outward by centrifugal force to preventexcessive speed. of the device when under action of the spring motor.

In using the device, when the engine of thecar is running, vacuum isestablished through the pipes I2--24 into the vacuum chamber 23,retracting the diaphragm 25 and holdingsameretracted. This actionsimilarly shifts the control lever 29 allowing the detent I2IB to engagein the notch I05A and prevent action of the spring motor. This sameshift also moves the cam II1 forcing the link I98 downward anddisengaging the notch I:I9 in. this link from the pin III, leaving therack Il3'free to reciprocate. The fork 34 on thecontrol lever 29 is alsoshifted and engages the two parts of the clutch 43-44, operativelyconnecting the vacuum wiper shaft II and the shaft 46 connected to thewiper blade. These conditions continuing so long as the engine runningat such speed as to maintain a normal vacuum. At any time the startinglever I6 may be shifted in usual manner and the usual vacuum action ofthe wiper be set up. the oscillatory motion thus set up in the shaft IIbeing transmitted through the clutch 4344, to the extension shaft 46actuating the arm 5I by which the wiper (not shown) is oscillated. Suchaction will oscillate the pinion 41 and reciprocate the rack I I3, butsince this rack is free for'movement it is readily shifted backward andforward.

At the same time the eccentric 38 is oscillated,

and acting through the eccentric rod 52, the

arm 55, the disk 58 and the pawls 60-436, sets Y up a winding action onthe ratchet wheel 53 and attached drum 1I thereby winding up the spring'12 within the drum, this step by step ratchet movement being retainedby thepawls68-59, and movement of the shaft 10 being restrained throughthe gears 95, 91 and 99, the eccentric IBI, and associated parts inconnection with the detent. I2IB. This Winding action. on the springwithin. the drum continues so long as the vacuum wiper is beingactuated, until the spring 12 is completely wound, at which. time theoutercon-.

lishirewin'din'g:conditions;' I

Should. the vacuum drop during operation of the wiper, causing vacuumactuation to cease, such-drop. inlvacuum in the vacuum chamber 23woul'drallow the spring.i3-'I to shift the diaphragm 25 outward as shownin Fig. 4, disconnecting .the detentzIZIB and permitting" the springmotor to go into operation, This same shift would concurrently move thecam I I1 to the position shown in'Fig. 6, allowing the link I98 to bemoved upe wardby spring I09, engaging the notch H9 with the'pin'IIIandconnecting theeccentric IDI with:

the'reciprocable rack I I3. Alsoconcurrently with this movement, theyoke34zof the control-barl-29 would disconnect the clutch part 43 fromthe clutchpart 44,. leaving the shaft 48 free to oscillate independentlyof thevacuumaction. Thereafter motion would be transmitted from thespring 12through the shaft 10, and the gears 95,

ation'of the wiper bythe spring the governor.

driven through the pinion98 and the gear I3I Would automatically retardthe speed of spring 1 actuation and prevent its becoming excessive.

What I claim is: I

1. The combination with a shaft, vacuum actuated means for oscillatingsaid shaft, an extension for said shaft and means actuated by saidvacuum for operatively connecting said extension to said shaft; ofauxiliary means for actuating said extension; said auxiliary meansincluding a spring actuated motor, means for governing the speed of saidmotor, means actuated by osciilation of said shaft for winding saidmotor, means adapted to operably connect said' motor and said shaftextension, means for disconnecting said shaft from said extension, andfor connecting said motor to said extension, and means actuated bysaidvacuum for rendering said disconnecting means ineffective.

2. The combination with a shaft, vacuum actuated means for oscillatingsaid shaft, an extension-for said shaft, and means, actuated by saidVacuum, for operatively connecting said extension to said shaft; ofauxiliary means for actuating said extension; said auxiliary meansincluding a spring actuated motor, means actuated by oscillation of saidshaft for winding said motor, means adapted to operably connect saidmotor and said shaft extension, means for disconnecting said shaft, fromsaid extension, and for connecting said motor to said extension, andmeans actu atedby said vacuum for rendering: said disconnecting meansineffective.

. 3. The'combination witha shaft, vacuum actuated means for oscillatingsaid shaft, an extension for said shaft and means actuated by saidvacuum for operatively connecting saidextension to said shaft; ofauxiliary means for actuating said extension; said auxiliary meansincluding a spring actuated motor, means actuated by oscillation of saidshaft for winding said motor, means for disconnecting said winding meanson com- Such action would continue so lid pletion of winding, meansadapted to operably connect said motor and said shaft extension, meansfor disconnecting said shaft from said extension, and for connectingsaid motor to said extension, and means actuated by said vacuum forrendering said disconnecting means ineffec- 4. The combination with ashaft, vacuum actuated means for oscillating said shaft, an extensionfor said shaft, clutch means adapted to connect said extension to saidshaft, and means actuated by said vacuum for effecting said connection;of a spring actuated auxiliary motor, means, actuated by oscillation ofsaid shaft, for winding said motor, means for disconnecting said windingmeans; means adapted to oscillatably connect said motor and said shaftextension, spring means actingagainst said vacuum actuated connectingmeans and adapted to disconnect said clutch on cessation of vacuumoperation and means actuated by said spring means for effecting saidmotor-shaft extension connection.

5. The combination with a shaft, vacuum,

actuated means for oscillating said shaft; an extension for said shaft,clutch means adapted to connect said extension to said shaft and meansactuated by said vacuum for effecting said connection, of a springactuated auxiliary motor, means actuated by oscillation of said shaftfor winding said motor, means for disconnecting said winding means;means adapted to oscillatably connect said motor and said shaftextension, means preventing operation of said motor, spring means actingagainst said vacuum actuated connecting means and adapted to disconnectsaid clutch on cessation of vacuum operation, means actuated by saidspring means for'eifecting said motor, shaft-extension connection, andmeans actuated by said spring means for releasing said motor foroperation.

6. The combination with a shaft, vacuum actuated means for oscillatingsaid shaft, an extension for said shaft, clutch means adapted to connectsaid extension to said shaft, and means actuated by said vacuum foreffecting said connection; of a spring actuated auxiliary motor, meansfor governing the speed of said motor, means actuated by oscillation ofsaid shaft for winding said motor, means released by windingretractionof said spring for disconnecting said winding means; means adapted tooscillatably connect said motor and said shaft extension, means forpreventing operation of said motor, spring means acting against saidvacuum actuated connecting means and adapted to disconnect said clutchon cessation of vacuum operation, means actuated by said spring meansfor effecting said motor shaft-extension connection, and means actuatedby said spring means for releasing said motor for operation.

7. The combination with a shaft, vacuum actuated means for oscillatingsaid shaft, an extension for said shaft, clutch means adapted to connectsaid extension to said shaft, and means actuated by said vacuum foreffecting said connection; of a spring actuated auxiliary 'motor, meansgoverning the speed of said motor, means actuated by oscillation of saidshaft for winding said motor, means released by winding-retraction ofsaid spring, for disconnecting said winding means, means adapted tooscillatably connect said motor and said shaft extension, spring meansacting against said vacuum actuated connecting means and adapted todisconnect said clutch on cessation of vacuum operation and meansactuated by said spring means for effecting said motor-shaft extensionconnection.

8. The combination with a shaft, vacuum actuated means for oscillatingsaid shaft, an extension for said shaft, clutch means adapted to connectsaid extension to said shaft, and means actuated by said vacuum foreffecting said connection; of a spring actuated motor, means oscillatedby said shaft, means, connected to said shaft oscillated means, forwinding said motor, means released by winding retraction of said springfor disconnecting said winding means; oscillatable means driven by saidmotor, oscillatable means carried by said shaft extension, link meansadaptedto connect said motor and extension oscillating means, meansengaging said link means to prevent operation of said motor;

spring means acting against said vacuum actuated connecting means andadapted to disconnectsaid clutch on cessation of vacuum operation, meansconnected to said spring means for rendering said link connectionoperative, and means connected with said spring means for releasing saidlink to allow operation of said motor.

9. The combination witha shaft, vacuum means for oscillating said shaft,an extension for said shaft, clutch means adapted to connect saidextension to said shaft, and means actuated by said vacuum for effectingsaid connection, of a spring actuated motor, including .a motor shaft, ahollow drum rotatable on said motor shaft, said drum having an openingchambered in the cylindrical surface thereof, a sector adapted tocomplete said cylindrical surface, disposed in said opening and radiallymovable therein, a pin projecting from said sector into said drum, saidpin having a head thereon within said drum limiting outward movement ofsaid sector to a position flush with said drum surface, a coiled flatspring within said drum having one end-secured to said drum and whenunwound having its outer convolution lying against the shell of drum andagainst the head of said pin, said convolution being retractable awayfrom said drum by winding action, the other end of said spring beingsecured to said motor shaft; a ratchet wheel secured to said drum, aratchet pawl adapted to engage said ratchet wheel, means oscillatablewith said shaft, means operatively connecting said pawl with saidshaft-oscillatable means, means for disconnecting said operativelyconnecting means, said means including a roller resiliently urgedagainst said sector completed surface and held in inactive position bysaid surface,

and a disconnecting trip actuated by said roller on disruption of saidsurface by winding of said spring, means adapted to oscillatably connectsaid motor and said shaft extension, means preventing operation of saidmotor, spring means acting against said vacuum actuating means, meansconnected to said spring means for rendering said oscillatableconnection means operative, means connected withsaid spring means, meansfor releasing said motor for operation, and means connected with saidspring means for disconnecting said clutch.

' GEORGE T. MUSTIN.

